Nearly a hundred business leaders attended the detailed presentation of the construction site for the future aircraft carrier PA-NG, named "France Libre", organized by the City. Mayor Dorian Munoz expressed being "very concerned about the impact of this construction" and assured that he would ensure its successful completion, despite existing traffic issues. He emphasized the "good relationship and communication" with the Navy.
The construction, which will take place in two phases until approximately 2038, will involve building the necessary infrastructure to accommodate the vessel west of the Toulon roadstead. The first phase, which has begun and is planned until 2035, concerns infrastructure development. The second phase, until 2038, will focus on the final installation of weapon systems and specific equipment. Ship components will be manufactured and assembled upstream by Chantiers de l'Atlantique in Saint-Nazaire and by Naval Group in Indret near Nantes.
The Rear Admiral announced the arrival of the PA-NG in Toulon for 2035, calling its construction an "opportunity for France and for a Navy that matters in the world." He recalled the mission of protection carried out by French ships, citing the example of protecting Amazon packages in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait. The arrival of the aircraft carrier is expected to "trickle down to the local economy," as evidenced by the pouring of tons of concrete before summer by local company Bonifay.
Armelle Bourgogne, PA-NG program officer, detailed the work planned for the first phase of the construction, including sediment dredging, archaeological research that uncovered two ancient villages, and developments at the Port de Brégaillon. These works include the construction of buildings, a bridge, a future polder, the development of the Brégaillon roundabout with an additional bypass lane, a large parking lot, as well as adaptations to cycle paths and public transport, particularly maritime shuttles. The road operations center will also be relocated.
A fourth access to the arsenal will be created, similar to the Castigneau gate. A territorial information committee will be established to communicate effectively about the PA-NG construction and minimize its impact. Regarding water quality, crucial for local aquaculture, daily monitoring of water turbidity is already in place. Dredging operations and the removal of sunken wrecks have led to the cleanest arsenal waters currently, posing no danger to the aquaculture in the Baie du Lazaret.
The next major step will be the announcement in 2027 of the company responsible for the first phase of this project, with Eiffage, Bouygues, and Vinci as contenders.
